Modeling mGluR1 Mediated Synaptic Depression in Cerebellar Purkinje Cells

Georgia Campus

In our previous study, we have successfully simulated mGluR1 mediated sEPSP based on experimental and is associated with parallel fiber – Purkinje cell LTD [1, 2, 3]. Recent studies have shown that the mGluR1 mediated sEPSP is generated by calcium signaling through the TRPC channel which is crucial in cerebellar LTD induction [4]. Behavior study using mutant mice that lack this type of LTD has shown no motor learning impairment [5]. We hypothesize that cerebellar TRPC mediated synaptic depression shifts the excitatory and inhibitory balance to down regulate ongoing simple-spike activity. To test our hypothesis we modified our previous model of a Purkinje cell [6, 7] to have TRPC channel current signal linked to the AMPA channel conductance through Kinetikit [8].